Wave Riders

by Lauren St. John

  ‘Do you think she could have been right – that Caspian actually is jealous about us sharing his limelight?’ Jess asked Jude as they thawed out in her room after their dog walk.

  ‘Doubt it. I’d say, whatever Caspian wants, Caspian gets. He’s spoilt rotten by the looks of things. Doesn’t seem interested in being friends with us, either. Or if he is, he has a funny way of showing it. It wouldn’t surprise me if he’s the one who tampered with the “Twins” light display. He was standing right beside it. It would only have taken him a couple of seconds to unplug the connector.’

  Caspian was Jess’s chief suspect for that particular incident too. She was reluctant to investigate further in case her suspicions were confirmed.

  ‘We have to give the Blakeneys a chance, Jude. They’ve done so much for us. Like it or not, we’re here till we’re eighteen. We need to get along with them.’

  She hung her rain jacket on a hook and shrugged on a thick jumper. ‘Have you noticed that there’s not a single photo of Clifford’s father anywhere in the house? Well, the bits that we’ve seen anyway. Not one.’

  ‘There’s a massive picture of him at the top of the stairs,’ Jude pointed out.

  ‘Yeah, but that’s an official portrait of him in his study looking like a newspaper baron. Where are the photos of him and his son blowing out candles on a birthday cake? Where are the shots of them out on the estate having fun?’

  A floorboard creaked in the corridor. Jess ran to the door and flung it open. A maid was standing there with fresh towels, hand raised to knock.

  ‘She was listening at the door again,’ fumed Jess when she’d gone. ‘It’s creepy how every time we try to have a private conversation, someone starts dusting a shelf or polishing a vase or saddle within eavesdropping distance. I feel like we’re being spied on.’

  ‘They’re probably worried we’ll steal the silver,’ said Jude, only half joking.

  Jess wished it could be explained away so easily. There was a peculiar atmosphere at Blakeney Park. It was real but unreal at the same time, almost as if the twins had woken up on the set of Downton Abbey. From the Blakeneys to the tea room maid, everyone seemed to be playing a part.

  Jess joined Jude on the window seat, staring out at the rain and fast-melting snow. ‘Until we know more, we trust no one.’

  Jude was in full agreement. ‘We trust no one.’

  17

  TEMPEST

  ‘How would you like to go horse riding with Caspian?’ asked Marina, gliding into the tea room on Sunday morning, one week after the twins had landed in London. ‘You do ride, don’t you? There were photos of you on ponies in Florida.’

  ‘Those were beach ponies,’ explained Jess. ‘When the tourist season was over, the owner used to let us swim them in the waves for exercise.’

  She didn’t mention the ponies’ habit of bolting home along the beach, totally out of control, with the twins clinging to their salty wet necks like barnacles. ‘We’ve never had any proper lessons.’

  Marina gave an airy wave. ‘You’re too modest, Jess. Your father was a talented horseman. Riding’s in your genes. Once one’s mastered the basics, there’s nothing to it, really. Lizette will find you some breeches and boots, and Seth will sort out a couple of helmets. See you at the barn.’

  A short while later, the twins, looking ready to compete at the Badminton Horse Trials, were on their way to the stables with Lizette.

  A dapple-grey pony was being led out of the barn when they arrived. She was strikingly pretty but full of beans, spooking at invisible monsters.

  ‘That’s Tempest, Caspian’s Connemara-Thoroughbred cross,’ said the au pair. ‘According to Seth, she’s more trouble than all the other horses put together.’

  A grinning Caspian called them over. ‘Isn’t she great? Cost Dad a fortune, but she’s worth it. Pure fire.’

  He made no effort to help as Seth struggled to tack her up, just leaned against the mounting block and watched with an amused smile.

  Lizette’s horse, Fred, a clipped hunter, was hitched to a rail nearby.

  The barn door slid open and a stablehand emerged with two saddled horses: a piebald pony called Jigsaw; and Autumn, the bay mare.

  A broad grin spread across Jude’s face. He’d been hoping that Seth might let him ride her. Despite Autumn’s racing past, she had a reputation for being a calm, dependable hack.

  ‘Doesn’t mean she’s a robot,’ Seth had told him. ‘Horses are prey animals. If they get a fright, they take flight. They run first and ask questions later.’

  Caspian smirked at the twins. ‘I see Seth’s given you the beginner horses.’

  ‘That’s fine by me,’ said Jess. ‘I want the most bomb-proof horse in the barn.’

  ‘Good to know your level, I suppose. I prefer—’

  Behind him, Tempest gave a jealous squeal and booted Jigsaw in the shoulder.

  Pandemonium erupted.

  Fred reared and snapped his reins. Jigsaw rounded on Autumn with gnashing teeth. The mare leaped away with a whinny, nearly knocking down Lizette.

  Caspian was caught in the crossfire. Jess glimpsed his frightened face as he reeled between biting, fighting horses and yelling humans.

  Seth moved quickly to get the situation under control, but he couldn’t undo the swelling on Jigsaw’s shoulder.

  ‘Lame,’ he said bitterly. ‘Sorry, everyone, there’ll be a delay while we fetch Jess another horse and get Fred a new bridle. Caspian, could you hold Tempest while—?’

  ‘Ow!’ Caspian clutched at his stomach and bent double.

  Marina was at her son’s side in an instant. ‘Sweetie, what’s wrong? Were you kicked?’

  ‘No, Mummy – I have cramps. My tummy – owww – hurts so bad.’

  ‘Did you eat the smoked salmon at breakfast?’ demanded his mother. ‘It tasted as if it had died of old age. I could throttle that cook. I’ve told her a thousand times to check the use-by dates.’

  ‘I dunno, maybe . . . Oww . . . Mummy, can you take me back to the house? I don’t feel well.’

  Groaning again for effect, he looked sideways at Jess. ‘Would you mind riding Tempest? She’s longing to stretch her legs.’

  Jess was startled. She couldn’t tell if he was challenging her or pleading with her. ‘I, umm—’

  ‘Caspian, Tempest’s fresh as anything,’ cut in Seth. ‘If she gets wind of the hunt—’

  ‘What hunt?’ asked Jude.

  ‘The local trail hunt might pass through the north fields this morning. These days, fox hunting is against the law but –’ Seth’s eyes met Marina’s – ‘every now and then, friends help friends to get rid of pests. Caspian was planning to join them after he’d ridden out with you. Then this happened.’

  Marina put an arm around her son. ‘Darling, it’s generous of you to offer Jess your horse, but Tempest seems a little flighty this morning. Jess is not an experienced rider like you.’

  ‘A toddler could ride Tempest,’ Caspian said stubbornly. ‘Once she’s away from the barn, she’s as good as gold. ’Course, if Jess is afraid . . .’

  ‘Jess, don’t let him get under your skin,’ Jude said under his breath. ‘That pony’s an accident waiting to happen.’

  Jess thought the same thing but wasn’t about to admit that she was scared. ‘Thanks, Caspian. I’d love to ride her,’ she said with a big smile, and had the satisfaction of realizing that it was the last answer the boy had expected.

  After the Blakeneys had gone, Seth helped her into the saddle. His face was maroon with suppressed fury. Jess got the sense that he strongly disapproved of Caspian and Marina all but insisting that a beginner ride the spoilt boy’s tempestuous horse.

  Nevertheless, he tried to make the best of a bad situation.

  ‘Don’t worry, Jess, Tempest’s well-schooled,’ he said. ‘She’ll take her energy from you. If you stay peaceful, even if you’re only faking it, she’ll be peaceful too. Lizette, take it slow with these kids. Don’t go faster than a tro
t. Maybe stick to walking. Whatever you do, stay away from the north fields.’

  18

  SPY IN THE SKY

  After days of grizzling rain, the bright blue sky was a tonic. Lacy scraps of snow lingered on the hills, but the going was good. The horses moved easily along the tracks between the fields.

  Too easily, in Jess’s opinion. She was riddled with anxiety. Tempest shied at every second leaf. Jess’s legs and arms were like jelly from the effort of holding on.

  ‘Your pony’s getting stressed-out vibes from you,’ counselled Lizette. ‘Remember what Seth told you. Stay in the moment. Focus on your breathing.’

  Jess had no faith in Seth’s strategy, but decided it was worth a shot. The grey’s neck was foamy with nervous sweat.

  Breathing, Jess could just about manage. Quieting her racing thoughts was harder. At the Castaway Diner, Leonie had taught her a mindfulness technique called body-scanning to help Jess with exam nerves. She tried it now. First, she focused on banishing tension from her toes in the stirrups. Then she moved on up through her knees, hips, hands on the reins, shoulders and neck.

  When she reached her brain, she worked on emptying it. She quit trying to fathom why Caspian had pushed his fancy, fiery pony on to a girl who’d requested the ‘most bomb-proof horse in the barn’.

  She also quit wondering why Caspian had pretended to have stomach cramps. She and Jude were convinced that the boy’s sudden illness was invented.

  ‘If there was an Oscar for the World’s Worst Actor, he’d have won it,’ Jude had scoffed as they rode out of the yard. ‘He basically forced you to take his horse. Why? That’s what I wanna know. Too lazy to ride, too chicken, or just messing with us?’

  As Tempest flounced away from yet another twig, Jess shoved Caspian out of her mind. She needed to do some acting of her own if she was going to de-stress his pony. She took Seth’s advice and faked peacefulness. Faked being a confident rider. Faked enjoying her day.

  Before she knew it, she was actually enjoying herself for real. So was Tempest, who gave a great, shuddering sigh and visibly let go. Soon, the grey and the bay were walking side by side, matching strides.

  The scenery was spectacular. It was like riding through a painting.

  A distant church spire pierced a wandering cloud. A robin sang its heart out at the top of a hawthorn tree. Shaggy Highland cattle hung their heads over a stone wall to breathe misty moo bubbles at the passing horses.

  And on the horizon, the river shone like a silver lining.

  ‘That’s the River Severn,’ said Lizette, twisting in the saddle. ‘It flows out into the Bristol Channel. From there, you can sail north to Scotland, south to Cornwall, or west across the Irish Sea and Atlantic. You guys must miss the ocean? I’m from Cape Town, and I do.’

  ‘Mainly I miss swimming,’ Jess told her. ‘All my life, I’ve been in the sea every day. I don’t miss being on a cramped boat.’

  Jude kept quiet. Since moving into the stable room, his drowning nightmares had stopped. He missed sailing, but not as much as he thought he would. Since wrecking the yacht, he’d lost confidence that he was a good yachtsman. What if he fell overboard again? For the time being, he was quite content to be away from deep water.

  Lizette steered Fred onto a bridleway lined with gorse, bracken and purple clumps of heather. Approaching the forest that the twins had seen from the helicopter the day they arrived, Jess felt a strong sense of déjà vu. It was as if she’d ridden this track and breathed in the green woods in another life.

  She remembered the documentary she’d watched on the plane. How Robbie Blakeney had saved the forest from loggers and developers. She wondered if it was still home to woodpeckers and rare owls.

  The thought of the rare owls made her smile. Given time, maybe life at Blakeney Park would be everything they’d dreamed of. Jude’s room would finally be decorated, and he’d move into the main house. In spite of first appearances, Caspian would turn out to be a good egg. In the summertime, she and Jude would be like the Famous Five or the kids in Swallows and Amazons.

  They’d cycle, build dens and climb trees on the estate. They’d swim in the lake with Sam. They’d beg picnics off the cook and spend whole days exploring the estate. Whole nights, if Marina permitted them to camp out in the forest.

  Too late, Jess realized that an unidentified buzzing noise was spooking Tempest. The pony surged into a canter. Jess had to grab the pommel to stop herself falling off backwards.

  ‘What is that?’ asked Jude, catching up to Jess.

  Autumn was starting to fuss and fret at the strange sound too.

  ‘Guys, you need to slow down,’ called Lizette. ‘Pull up your horses.’

  ‘I’m trying.’ Jess tugged on the reins. Tempest obeyed with reluctance. She was jumpier than a cat on a hot tin roof.

  The buzzing grew louder.

  ‘Is that a plane or a chainsaw?’ Lizette asked in agitation as she battled to rein in Fred.

  A high-pitched baying drowned out Jude’s response. Two fields away, the hunt streamed over a rise. The hounds were in full throat, on the scent of a fox. A red-coated huntsman led the charge.

  ‘Oh no!’ cried Lizette. ‘They’re not supposed to be there. Seth told me they’d be on the other side of the estate, in the north fields.’

  Before she could do anything about it, Fred began to snatch at the bit and spin in circles. Tempest’s eyes were out on stalks, fixed on the hunt. Her whole body quivered. Jess tried vainly to get her attention.

  Jude, bringing up the rear, was the only one who noticed the black speck high above them. A speck that was growing closer by the second. It was a drone. Suddenly, it dived like a hawk on the kill.

  Dumbstruck, Jude watched helplessly as it zoned in on Tempest, brushed the pony’s rump, then was gone, banking over the trees and dropping out of sight.

  Jude tried to warn Jess but Tempest was already erupting. When the pony unleashed her inner bronco, Jess didn’t stand a chance. Fortunately, she landed on her feet.

  Tempest never even glanced her way. With a gleeful whinny, she took off. Clearing a stone wall with room to spare, she streaked after the hunt.

  Jude jumped off his horse and ran to his sister, tugging Autumn along behind him.

  Jess was unhurt but in tears of despair. ‘Why, why, why did Caspian trust me with his horse? Marina will kill me if their precious pony breaks a leg. Oh, Jude, what am I going to do?’

  ‘What you’re not going to do is fret about Caspian,’ said Lizette, dismounting in case any first aid was required. She insisted that Jess eat a boiled sweet to stave off any possible shock.

  ‘This is not your fault, Jess. Nor is it your responsibility. Don’t stress about Tempest either. She’s the best, most careful jumper I know. Unfortunately, loose horses are a menace to any hunt. She could cause a terrible accident. If you’re sure you’re all right, Jess, I need to go after her. Jude, will you take care of your sister? Promise me you’ll both stay glued to this spot till I’m back.’

  ‘I’m really fine,’ said Jess. ‘We’ll stay here, we promise.’

  As Lizette galloped away, Jude told Jess about the drone. ‘It went for Tempest like a fighter jet. It’s like it had singled her out as a target. What kind of monster would do that?’

  ‘Whoever was flying it must have lost control,’ said Jess. ‘It’s the only explanation. Nobody would terrify a horse on purpose, would they? Unless . . . Jude, what if it was spying on us, like that maid who was listening at our door? I don’t trust Terence the valet either.’

  ‘It’s back!’ shouted Jude.

  The drone buzzed over the trees and headed straight for them, performing another reckless fly-by.

  For Autumn, it was the final straw. She decided to run first and ask questions later. Wrenching the reins away from Jude, she bolted into the forest like a Derby winner.

  ‘Gosh, this is so fun,’ said Jess, collapsing on the cold, prickly ground. ‘Who knew that English horse riding – hor
se losing – could be such a blast.’

  Across the fields, the baying hounds were milling around a copse of silver birch. Had they lost the fox or found it? Jess prayed it was the former. From a distance, it was impossible to tell if Lizette and Fred, or naughty Tempest, were among the horses and riders heading that way.

  ‘Now what do we do?’ fretted Jess.

  Jude looked at the dark forest. ‘What choice do we have? We need to go after Autumn.’

  19

  SIRIUS

  After weeks of being controlled and sometimes smothered by grown-ups, wandering through the wintery woods was pure freedom.

  One breath of the pines and ancient oaks, and Jude felt better than he had since he and Jess had flown into smoky grey London a week earlier. For the first time since they’d set sail to Anegada, he felt connected to nature. He liked the way his boots crunched on the frosty leaves and twigs. Liked the quiet and the dappling of the light through the trees.

  ‘What’s the penalty for losing two entire horses?’ he asked Jess. ‘D’you reckon we’ll have to spend a month on the naughty step, or will we be put to work in the fields until we’ve earned enough to pay for them?’

  ‘Neither,’ said his sister as the muffled drumbeat of hooves carried through the trees. ‘Autumn’s coming this way on her own.’

  Jess began to jog along the trail in hope of catching the horse before she changed direction, but Jude pulled her back roughly. He shook his head in silent warning.

  From behind a spruce, they watched the racehorse canter into view. Jess saw the problem for herself.

  Autumn had a new rider. A near-invisible one. His waist-length dreadlocks and clothes blended into the forest surroundings as if he belonged to them.

  Jess sneezed before she could stop herself, and the bay mare skidded to a stop, almost throwing the rider. Recovering, he settled back into the saddle, reins held loosely in one hand. He was youngish. Twenty at most, Jude guessed. A bulging backpack hung from his shoulders.